Landmarks and Sights in Laos

Safety note as of October 2026: British advice is to avoid all but essential travel to Xaisomboun Province. Unexploded ordnance from the 1964 to 1973 bombing lies in the countryside, so stay on cleared paths at every sight and do not touch metal objects. Tourists have died from methanol in bar drinks, so choose sealed bottles. Rivers cause drownings. Check the UK Foreign Office and US State Department pages before your trip.

The main sights in Laos are temples that people still use for worship, a royal palace turned museum, a Khmer-era ruin and a plateau of stone jars. Dress with covered shoulders and knees, and take off hats and shoes where requested. Pay in Lao kip (LAK), about 22,000 to 22,500 to the dollar. Fees for four Luang Prabang sights change on 15 November 2026, so old and new prices are listed.

Luang Prabang sights

  • Wat Xieng Thong. Open daily 06:00 to 18:00, foreigner ticket 30,000 LAK. King Setthathirath founded the temple in 1560. Its glass mosaic, called the Tree of Life, and the hall of the royal funeral carriage are the highlights. Dress rules are on the tourism office page .
  • Royal Palace Museum. Also called the National Museum. Visiting hours are 08:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 16:00, though the ticket counter shuts at 11:00 and 15:30. The foreigner ticket is 60,000 LAK until 14 November 2026 and 200,000 LAK afterwards. It closes for cleaning on the last Thursday of the month. The palace dates from 1904 and was built for King Sisavang Vong. Next door, Haw Pha Bang holds the Phra Bang Buddha.
  • Phralak Phralam theatre. Evening performances take place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, at 18:00 from October to February and 18:30 from March to September. Seat prices range from about 150,000 to 250,000 LAK depending on the row. See the museum page .
  • Mount Phousi. A 328-step climb. The ticket is 30,000 LAK now, 60,000 LAK from 15 November 2026.

Vientiane sights

  • Pha That Luang. The gilded national stupa, reportedly built in 1566.
  • Wat Si Saket. Built in 1818 and the oldest surviving temple in the city.
  • Haw Phra Kaew. A temple close to Wat Si Saket.
  • Entry fees are small and hours include a lunch break, so check on arrival. A walk of about 3 km links the three.

Champasak: Vat Phou

  • UNESCO listed it in 2001. Its origins are pre-Angkorian, and the Khmer-era temples were built up to about the 13th century.
  • The foreigner ticket is about 50,000 LAK, with an electric buggy from the entrance and the museum included.
  • Opening hours are 08:00 to 18:00 daily, with the museum shutting about 16:00.
  • The ruins are about 45 km from Pakse. No public transport goes the whole way, and day tours cost about 450,000 to 500,000 LAK.

Xieng Khouang: Plain of Jars

  • UNESCO inscribed the Megalithic Jar Sites in July 2019. Several sites make up the listing, and visitors usually see Sites 1, 2 and 3.
  • The stone jars date from the Iron Age, about 500 BCE to 500 CE.
  • Site 1 is about 8 km southwest of Phonsavan and has a visitor centre. Gravel roads lead to Sites 2 and 3 and become slippery in rain.
  • Walk only on cleared paths. Fees are small and vary between reports.
  • Travel by air to Xieng Khouang if you can. The mountain road takes 7 to 11 hours.

Read more: walking tours in Laos and day trips in Laos . Guided sightseeing can be compared on Viator .